Issued in a standard jewel case with transparent tray and 4-page booklet.
While 'Klatwa' set the stage for a slightly different style for Hellveto, 'Prelude To Dying' is certainly not a natural follow-up to it. This probably owes to the fact that chronological Hellveto releases are not necessarily written and recorded in the natural order. Based on the general sound of 'Prelude To Dying', it seems that this material was likely written around the same time as 'Zemsta', though likely recorded at a different time from that album. The two albums are so stylistically similar that it wouldn't be amiss to call this 'Zemsta 2.0'; or at least it wouldn't if this album didn't happen to be one of the very best in Hellveto's history.
'Prelude To Dying' takes the naturally organic and feudal style of 'Zemsta' and infuses it with a markedly darker and more haunting atmosphere than the typical Hellveto release, and the result is stunning. This is one of the best-flowing and narrative Hellveto albums and feels more whole than perhaps any of his other releases, which generally seem to be individual songs united by aesthetic. In this case, each track absolutely works to craft a unified whole, and to listen to it from beginning to end is, despite the triteness, an epic journey. Agile nets of synthestra dance around forceful yet delicate riffs, all elements as complex as ever (despite a slightly reduced amount of vocals on the part of L.O.N., making the compositions that much more instrumentally focused) but not really reaching the crazy rhythmic technicality of a release like 'Klatwa'. Every note is memorable, from slow-burning, drawn-out tracks like 'I Gave You My Revenge' to shorter, more intermission-like works such as 'Tear Of Evil'.
While other Hellveto releases are somewhat up in the air as to whether the drums are real or programmed, they're definitely sequenced on this release, obvious through the small cymbal trills, tom fills, and overly precise blast beats. It doesn't particularly detract from the album, even one as concentrated on organic atmosphere as 'Prelude To Dying', but I can imagine that some might be irritated by it. It's fairly easy to ignore though, particularly when they seem so small compared to the massive wall of orchestral instruments and guitars immediately next to them, which utterly dominate the soundscape. The production is a tad fuller than usual, with the drums in particular having more depth to them than the somewhat tinny and cracking sounds of other albums. Vocals are pushed rather deeply into the background and are clearly a very secondary element on this release; it is certainly an album commanded by its sense of nostalgic melody and not much else.
What makes this so definitive and lasting, though, is a matter of mood and atmosphere. Hellveto rarely sounds this desperately mournful and brooding, and as a whole this is one of the less aggressive albums by the artist despite its definitely misanthropic tone. While 'Zemsta' most certainly had a tense and stormy quality about it, it never felt as elegantly hopeless and intense as this one. The mood is perfectly supported by the instrumentation, with tension-laced melodies dominating the landscape over thunderous, tom-heavy or murkily rocking drums and desperate, sparse vocals. The music feels slower than usual, only picking up to blast a couple times during the disc's running time, making the atmosphere that much more funereal.
This is certainly in the top handful of Hellveto releases alongside albums such as 'In Arms Of Kurpian Phantom' and goes highly recommended to all metalheads and lovers of neoclassical/folk compositions. This is one of Hellveto's essential releases even for those completely unfamiliar with the project's greater catalog, and is certainly a necessity for any fan of the artist. A nearly perfect album from a band with an amazing track record.
Sample:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O54j3bzWNvE
Sample:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J-eCYyNdls
